A Knoxville-based developer has paid $6.9 million for nearly an acre at 602 Ninth Ave. S. on the edge of Gulch where he plans to develop a dual-branded hotel up to nine stories tall.

Shailesh Patel is targeting an early 2018 groundbreaking for the roughly $35 million project, which will be his first development in the Nashville area. Plans call for a 100-room Hampton Inn and a 100-room Tru by Hilton hotel with both expected to open around September 2019.

"We're just kind of growing away from the East Tennessee area and Nashville is a very strong market with a lot of growth over the last several years," said Patel, principal in The 9 Group. "The Gulch area in particular, we felt, would be very good for a mid-market hotel."